Twenty years later
by Writingthisish
Summary: My take on what made Tess, Tess. Not exactly an origin story, more of different significant events in her life since the CBI. Includes how I imagine first meetings happened between Tess and Bill, Tess and Marlene and of course, Tess and Joel. Written in script-style with setting descriptions and character dialogues.
1. Five months later

**September 28, 2013**

 **Boston, Massachusetts**

 **Two days after the CBI outbreak**

 _[Cars and trucks block all roads leading to highways. Chaos everywhere. Newscaster reads out about the breakout spreading to West coast. In the center of the city, an area that would most likely be described as neglected urban slums. Among all the chaos, a woman is seen seated in a dank apartment building, TV remote in hand, watching the dire news. Her name is Tess, and from her appearance, it is evident that she is in her mid-twenties, with dark hair pulled up in a ponytail. She looks bored, unbothered by all the destruction outside. On closer notice, her black shirt is damp, wet. Red fluid is splattered on the back of her neck. Beside her, a man is dead on the floor, axe sticking out of his neck. It's obvious from the blood on her shirt, and the distance between her and the corpse, that she had committed the act.] She sighs, and mumbles to herself._

Tess: Fucking curfew now.

 _She looks at the dead body with an air of indifference._

Tess: God knows how you got infected. Wasn't the best way to go. Sorry, pal.

 _She gets up, switches off the TV. She grabs gloves from a drawer, and after putting on a mask, pulls the axe out of the body. She drags the body across the two-roomed apartment, pulls it through the empty corridor and dumps it out onto the street. The body is seen falling on a pile of corpses, flies and maggots buzzing around it._

 _Tess comes back to her apartment, locks the door and proceeds to clean the blood. A radio buzzes at the window. A man's voice sounds in the empty room, and she pauses to listen._

Radio: Local news report. Reported death toll rises to twenty within the city. Two hundred reported dead over the country. Boston, following the examples of Chicago, Dallas, New York and Los Angeles, is to be placed under martial law. Local curfew has been announced, effective everyday from 6:30 pm to 9:30 am. Infected have been reported to be wandering round the city and showing up at habitations. The state warns residents to stay inside and lock all doors and windows, and report any signs of infection for immediate action.

 _Tess stops, sits upright in the center of the apartment, pulls down the mask. She pulls out a drawer in front of her, and from it, extracts a pistol._

Tess: So much for security.

* * *

 **October 20, 2013**

 **Boston, Massachusetts**

 **25 days after the CBI outbreak**

 _Tess stands in the ration line, dressed in an old, long sleeved green sweater and loose jeans. The streets are still chaotic, with lines of residents being led to the Triage, soldiers monitoring discipline, shouting out orders in foul language. A soldier is scanning the people in line one by one. Tess is seen observing a family of three- father, mother, and a daughter who looks no older than ten. The mother looks shaken, and the father tries to console her. The daughter looks clueless, afraid._

Father: We need to hurry. They can't hold us for so long. It's going to be okay.

Mother: Did you see him? That was Marvin. He tried to eat me!

Father: He wasn't Marvin anymore. If he got infected, we can too. We need to be careful.

Daughter: Are we infected, daddy?

Father (stroking her head lovingly, in softer tone): No, honey. The three of us are okay. Just stay with Mommy and Daddy, alright?

 _The soldier arrives for the scan. The father is scanned, then the mother. When the machine scans the daughter, it buzzes red. Protests and shouts ensue from the parents as the girl is pulled away. Mother falls to the ground, her cries loud and ear-shattering. Tess sees the soldier carrying the crying girl away, taking her inside a booth nearby. The door is closed. A gunshot echoes. A dead silence takes over the lines, as people weep silently and cover their faces in terror. The mother falls to the ground, unconscious._

 _Tess shuts her eyes, hand clutching her stomach weakly. She breathes and goes ahead, following the ration line to collect her food._

* * *

 **December 26, 2013**

 **Boston, Massachusetts**

 **Three months after the CBI outbreak**

 _The city streets are deserted. Posters of infection warnings and curfew duties plague the walls. Snow falls to the ground, the air is cold and silent. Tess is in the corridor of her apartment, looking out the door. She exchanges a nervous look with her neighbour, a middle-aged black man named Terry. Another door opens further back in the corridor, and a middle-aged white woman looks out. A teenage boy pokes his head out from under her, looking. There's a palpable tension in the air as they all watch the other end of the corridor quietly. The teenage boy whimpers._

 _A door opens, and a runner steps out, body convulsing and twitching._

Terry (in a whisper): Shit, Loyd is infected. Everybody get inside.

 _The woman and her son shut their door immediately, and so does Terry. Tess heads back in, grabs her pistol and comes back out. The runner catches her moving, and screams, charging to attack. She shoots thrice, and he falls dead, body twitching on the floor. Terry appears at the door again. He looks shaken, but impressed as he sees Tess with her gun._

Terry: Thank God for you. God bless your soul.

Tess: It was nothing.

Terry: How are you not afraid of these things?

Tess (in a low voice, slipping into distant thought): I've seen people that are worse than these things.

 _A silence sits between them, where Terry looks at Tess with veneration._

* * *

 **February 18, 2014**

 **Boston, Massachusetts**

 **Five months after the CBI outbreak**

 _A stranger stands in Tess's apartment, facing her form the opposite side of a kitchenette counter. Sun streams in from the window, and illuminates Tess's face. She looks hardened, mature. Her face is gaunt, but an eyebrow cocked in her ever-present look of mockery. She studies the man for a second. He looks older, with white hair and a long, shabby beard. His clothes are tattered, torn and dirty. He looks desperate, afraid._

Tess: Why would I help you?

Stranger: I don't got nobody else. Please! I need to get this to my brother!

Tess: I'm no saint, old man. Why would I risk my life crossing the city for your sake?

Stranger: You did it for Terry last week! He said you delivered a package for him to Area 2!

Tess: I trust Terry. Area 2 is practically the neighbourhood. And, he gave me a damn good payment.

Stranger: Look . . I-I can pay you. My brother, he'll pay you. What do you need?

Tess (with a smirk): Oh yeah? What will you pay me?

Stranger (After a moment of hasty thinking): Ration cards. My brother . . he-he's got ways. He deals with them cards in Area 10. He'll give you cards lasting a month.

 _Tess says nothing, rolling her tongue inside her mouth. She's in deep thought, looking at the man speculatively._

Tess: Two months.

Stranger (visibly confused): What?

Tess: Rations lasting for two months.

 _Stranger looks down and around in confusion, and begins to refuse._

Tess: Alright then. Find yourself a real smuggler.

Stranger: There ain't no smugglers in this part of town!

Tess (with a knowing smirk, eyes squinting cunningly): I know.

 _Stranger looks at her defeated for a while, paces the apartment nervously. Then he accepts reluctantly._

Stranger: Alright. I'll give you one half, and my brother will give you the other.

Tess: Well then, we have a deal. What's his name, and when do I go?

Stranger (appears relieved, and slightly hopeful): Donovan. Just go over to Area 10 and ask the stragglers, they'll tell ya. You gotta get it to him by tomorrow night.

Tess (with a light hand grabbing the stranger's hand in a forced handshake, taking the man by slight surprise): You got yourself a deal. Get me your half of the payment by evening.

Stranger: By evening? But, but I don't got that kinda dough on me!

 _Tess gives an indifferent shrug, and a look that implies simply that it was a take-it-or-leave kind of deal. The stranger shakes his head, sighing in defeat._

Stranger: Alright. Alright. I'll fix it up somehow. Just . . just get my letter to him.

Tess: Good man.

 _The stranger leaves. Tess walks around to the refrigerator, pulls out a jar of half-eaten pickles and sits back in her couch. A pistol and a book sit on the table beside her. She takes the book, opens it and scribbles with a pen, mumbling._

Tess: Donovan. Area 10. Ration for two months.

 _She turns the page to the previous entry, and smirks to herself._

Tess: Guess I'm a smuggler now.

* * *

 **A/N: Tess origin story will continue.**


	2. Three years later

**May 10, 2016**

 **Boston, Massachusetts**

 **Three years after the CBI outbreak**

 _Tess walks down the streets of post-pandemic Boston. People linger around the streets, leaning on walls, talking next to dumpsters. She has a backpack, and is dressed in an old flannel and jeans. Some people regard her with a friendly nod or word, others steer clear. Soldiers pay her no attention as she walks by, treading down the streets and taking calculated turns around buildings. She climbs over a fence and enters a warehouse, where there men are seen waiting on a metal container. Sea stretches out to their right, docks empty and chained off to the normal folk._

 _The man in the center is dark-skinned, heavily built, wearing a t-shirt and jeans. His name was Maurice. The other men are simply around as his guards, as is obvious by the hostile look they give Tess as she approaches them._

Maurice: Hey, there. You don't look so hot today.

Tess: Ran into a little bad luck last night.

Maurice (laughing): Yeah, I heard. You gave Malik a piece of your mind after that poker game, huh? It's all over the district.

Tess (with a slight smirk): I gave him more than just a piece of my mind, if you gotta know.

 _Maurice laughs. His guards look relaxed, assuming Tess to be a friendly._

Tess: Alright, now cut to the chase. What's the deal?

 _Maurice's smile fades, but his friendly demeanour remains as he gets to his feet and walks to her with a paper in his hand._

Maurice: This is a big pickup. Gotta collect a package from outside the QZ.

Tess (taking the paper in hand, going over it carefully): What's the deal?

Maurice: Ration cards.

Tess (with a laugh, rolling her eyes): I got enough ration cards, Maurice. Gimme something worthwhile.

Maurice: Well, my client ain't unreasonable. What do you want, worth the price of those ration cards?

Tess (pacing slowly in front of him, folding the paper and stuffing it in her back pocket): Get me 2 semi-automatics and 2 pistols. With ammo.

Maurice (running a hand along his jaw, thinking): Hmm . . Guess it can be done. I'll give you half tonight. The rest after the job is done.

Tess: Alright. When?

Maurice: Gotta get the package back in two days. Now it's quite the distance, so the client arranged transport. You know how to ride a bike?

Tess (with a shrug): I'll manage.

Maurice: That's my girl.

 _He approaches her and attempts to lay a hand around her shoulders, to which Tess stiffens. She stops his hand midway, eyes meeting his threateningly. The guards step forward, but Maurice gestures them to calm down, amused._

Maurice (leering suggestively at her, stepping away): You gotta get some muscle to protect you sometime, Tess. A woman alone can only manage for so long. We'd make a nice team together.

Tess (eyes blazing, a slight scowl on her face): I'll get some if I need it. Until then, lay your fucking hands off me. Spread the word to your goons.

Maurice (smiling cunningly): I don't know what you mean.

Tess: Like hell you don't. I know you sent those guys over last night.

Maurice: I'm hurt, Tess. I wouldn't do that to you.

 _Tess simply turns, leaving back the way she had come._

Tess (speaking aloud as she climbs the fence): Get the payment delivered to the drop point in Area 2. Consider your job done.

 _Maurice and his guards snicker and talk loudly as she walks away. Tess's hands clench in fists, jaw tight as she heads back home._

* * *

 **May 11, 2016**

 **Outskirts of Boston, Massachusetts**

 **Three years after the CBI outbreak**

 _Sun shines bright in the sky. The highway looks empty, abandoned. Creepers and wild plants grow and cover the sides of the roads, poke out from between cracks in the tarmac. Tess is seen riding an old bike, her short hair fluttering in the gush of wind. A rifle pokes out of her backpack, and a pistol sticks out from the back of her jeans. She stops the bike as a sign comes up in the distance, reading : You are entering Lincoln._

 _She stops her bike next to the sign, glances around seeing that there was no other way to enter the town. She climbs down the highway end, lands on her feet into the woods. With pistol drawn out, she walks across and enters the deserted town._

 _The buildings were small, all abandoned. A mandatory evacuation notice sat in the middle of the road. She explores the town a little, gathering whatever supplies she could find. She takes in with a bemused smile the garden of gnomes, brushing her fingers on the porcelain. Her lips bend in a frown, her eyes squinting suspiciously as she scans the town. She pulls out the paper from her back pocket, and reads._

Tess: Pick up location . . Music store. Marquis . .

 _She puts the paper back in and walks down the empty street, warily. She walks past abandoned liquor stores and diners, and at the end of the street, finds the said music store. She walks up to the entrance reluctantly, and stands in front of it, getting on her toes to glance at the insides. It looked empty, deserted like any part of the town. Her eyebrows bend in obvious irritation._

Tess: Hello? Anybody here? . . I'm here for Maurice's package!

 _She waits, but receives only silence in response. Footsteps echo behind her, and she turns to find a man looking out the window of a diner. He had a rifle pointing down at her, a gas mask covering his face. His hair was long and dark, falling to his shoulders._

Man: Get on your knees.

Tess (raising her arms up in the air, slowly): I'm just a smuggler. Just give me the package and I'll leave.

Man: I said get the fuck down on your knees, woman!

 _Tess glares at the man, but does as told. She puts her pistol down on the road beside her, and rests on one knee. The man disappears from the window, and shortly appears at the entrance, walking out towards her with the rifle pointed at her forehead._

Man: Who the fuck are you?

Tess (her voice low, speaking carefully): I'm a smuggler from Boston. I'm here to collect a package from Maurice. If you'll just let me show you the papers . .

 _The man gestures with his rifle, to show him. Tess pulls out the papers slowly, and hands it over to him. He examines them, rifle still pointed at her head, and then throws them away._

Man: I don't know no Maurice. Tell me the truth, who sent you and why?

 _Tess looks at him, befuddled. She gulps, her eyebrows scrunching as she searches for words in her head, confused._

Tess: Maurice sent me. He said look for Pete!

 _The man tensed even more, bending further in his defensive stance as he shook the rifle at her_.

Man: Who the fuck is Pete? Don't you play games with me lady, I swear to god I won't hesitate to put a bullet in your head!

Tess (voice getting louder): I swear! Well . . Th-then they set me up! I was sent here to get a package-

Man: Shut up!

 _Tess fell quiet, biting her lower lip. Her face twists in anger and fear, as she remembers Maurice and his dogs snickering at her yesterday. She looks at the man, and sees his finger shaking at the trigger._

Man: For fucks sake . .

 _He slowly lowers his gun, stepping away from her. He picks up the papers again and reads them, apparently going over each and every word to get any sense out of them. He turns and points the rifle at her again, but Tess is already standing, her pistol pointed at him, her teeth grinding_ _together_.

Tess: Put the gun down now.

Man: So you can blow my brains to bits? I don't think so!

Tess: Take me to Pete, and we can put this misunderstanding behind us.

Man: There's nobody else in this whole fucking town, except me. Get to the point!

 _They stare at each other, guns pointed straight in apprehension. Tess grinds her jaws together, and then curses under her breath._

Tess: Guns down on three?

 _The man looks reluctant, jumpy. He shakes the rifle at her._

Man: Alright.

Tess (eyes fixated on him): One . .

Man: Two . .

Tess: . . . Three.

 _They lower their guns at once, and Tess relaxes. The man puts his gun back in his holster, and Tess does the same. The man pulls away the gas mask, revealing old, grey eyes, a boxy face and a salt and pepper beard._

Man: Did you take anything from my town?

Tess (reluctantly): No.

Man (Giving her a once-over): . . Good.

 _The sky falls to a shade of orange and pink, blending to dark blue with a few stars twinkling. The man turns and begins to walk away, back to the diner._

Tess: You sure you're not Pete?

Man (turning back): Fuck's sake. The name's Bill! There ain't no Pete here, and never has been!

Tess (scowling, mumbling to herself): I don't fucking get it . .

Bill: They got you, lady. There's been nobody here in this entire town for three years. The only people that live here besides me, are infected. Whoever sent ya . . Well they want you dead!

Tess (muttering to herself): That motherfucker . . He's gonna pay so bad for this, his balls will never see daylight again . .

Bill (looking amused): Your beef. Get along now, get the fuck outta my town. A few infected got out last week and I'm pretty sure they're lurkin' around.

 _Tess glances at the sky, and then back at the man as he walks into the diner. She looks at the empty road, the ends already engulfed in twilight darkness. She follows him reluctantly to the entrance of the diner. She holds the door just as he closes it, and meets his eye unfazed through the narrow opening._

Tess: Let me stay for the night, and I'll give you three pistol mags.

Bill (with a bemused grin): I got enough ammo, lady. Besides, I ain't interested in women. Even if I was, you're too skinny for me.

Tess (shaking her head once, unamused): What do you need? I can't make my way back now. It's already gettin' dark out here.

Bill: Oh, afraid of the dark, are we?

 _Tess purses her lips, glaring at him challengingly. She remembers the downtown area she had to get through in the afternoon to come to the outskirts. The place was teeming with infected, and in daylight, it was relatively safer. With nightfall, there was no force on Earth that could make her go through those parts all alone._

Bill: You got some fuel?

Tess: There's some in my bike back on the highway.

Bill (after a moment of deep thought): Alright. You can stay. I'm gonna lock you in a room and you'll lay there and make no noise, you hear?

 _Tess's jaw tightens as he opens the door wide, his prospects bringing up suspicion in her. She pats her pistol behind her, and reassuring herself, walks into the dank building, following him through the empty hall and collapsed tables. Bill lights a hurricane lamp on a table. Tess explores the place with her eyes, unimpressed. She touches a pile of newspapers and books on a nearby table,_ _taking one into her hand and opening it to read. Bill turns, clearly annoyed._

Bill: Hey, don't fucking touch anything!

Tess (pulling her hands back immediately, slightly surprised): Alright, alright . . sorry.

Bill: Good . . What do they call ya?

Tess (easing down a little at the interaction Bill had taken a step towards): Name's Tess.

Bill: Get the fuck inside the room, Tess.

 _Tess follows his hand into the room, and stands beside a dirty mattress as he repeats instructions to her. She glances at the window, and sees that it could be pulled up. If needed, she could break through. With a sigh of relief, she nods at him as he shuts the door and locks it from the outside_.

* * *

 **May 13, 2016**

 **Boston, Massachusetts**

 **Three years after the CBI outbreak**

 _Tess walked down the street, making her way to the ration line. Everybody that saw her now regarded her with a sense of fear, and respect. They nodded at her, or immediately turned their eyes away as she walked by. Two men regarded her with discreet glances as she walked past. Their conversation reaches her ears through the chatters of the roads._

Man 1: Man, that's one smuggler you don't wanna mess with.

Man 2: Oh yeah? Bet I could take her down with one hand.

Man 1: That's what Maurice thought. Where is he now?

 _The conversation dies in the background as she walks away, joining the ration line as people made way for her. Her tell-tale, dangerous smirk made them avert their eyes._


	3. Five years later

**June 2, 2018**

 **Hartford, Connecticut**

 **Five years after the CBI outbreak**

 _Tess walks through the streets of the QZ, all too familiar with the misery and sorrow that plagued mankind the past five years. The same sights as Boston were here: long, endless ration lines full of tired people, streets and checkpoints with soldiers. Old stone buildings were now military bases, and cul-de-sacs were more of garbage dumpsters, with the exhausted residents piling up their wastes in the streets and alleys. Stench of human waste and decaying food fill the air as she makes her way through the familiar sites. She looks a little afraid, her lips pursed, hand clasped together nervously._

 _She eyes a familiar street at the end of a road, sees the row of detached houses that line both sides of it. She walks to the house at the end, her fingers slightly trembling. Old, tired people walk by, giving her speculative looks, some of them eyeing her dangerously. She doesn't notice any of them, her eyes stuck to her destination._

 _She climbs onto the familiar porch. The wood is broken and dilapidated at one end. Her heart flutters at the sight of the very familiar rocking chair by the door._

 _She lifts a hand and knocks the door. Her knocks are weak, doubtful._

 _Few seconds pass by, during which Tess takes deep, controlled breaths, apparently trying to steady herself. The door opens a bit, and Tess's eyes widen, her face like that of a deer caught in the headlights. A middle-aged, angry woman appears in the crack. She eyes Tess like she was a_ _criminal, waiting for her to speak._

Tess (in a soft, polite voice, unlike her usual self): I'm here for Mary . . Mary Richardson.

Woman: Mary who?

Tess (appearing slightly disappointed): Mary Richardson.

Woman: Nobody here with that name.

 _The woman begins to close the door, but Tess holds it immediately, leaning forward pleadingly._

Tess: Try Mary . . Gonzalez?

Woman (eyeing her suspiciously): Yeah, she used to live here.

Tess (appearing crestfallen): . . Used to?

Woman: You talking about Joseph Gonzalez's wife, aren't you?

Tess (with an earnest, hopeful nod): Yes, yes.

Woman: No, don't live here anymore. Joseph Gonzalez died with the infection. The wife and child moved to Los Angeles QZ as soon as it hit.

 _Tess's hand falls from the door, her expression immediately twisting in pain. In a moment, she masks it, and mumbles a thanks to the woman. The woman, appearing slightly moved by her obvious pain, takes a moment to observe her wholly._

Woman: Family?

Tess (looking up, eyes meeting hers for a second before returning to the ground): Yes.

Woman: You're too old to be her daughter. .

Tess: Sister.

 _The woman, clearly shaken by her quiet, solemn grief, opens the door a little wider. Close-by, sounds of a military patrol driving echo through the pavement. Children run away as it passes by._

Woman: I got a number you can get in contact with . . I don't know if it still works . . Most phone lines are off, but you can try.

Tess (looking at her for a few seconds, doubtfully. Fingers entwined in slight confusion): No . . . No, that's okay.

Woman: . . Well, go along then.

 _Tess, with a slight nod, turns around as the door closes. She sits on the porch for a second, eyes travelling the dirty, overgrown garden in the middle of the cul-de-sac. A house nearby had its entire left side destroyed, so that the insides were open to the world, revealing broken furniture and dirty walls. She pulls out a photo from her pocket._

 _The picture looks old, but the faces in it look light, happy. Her younger self stares back at her, dressed in the camouflaged uniform, army cap on her head, hair stuffed in and messy. Beside her, the very familiar face of her sister smiles back at her, dressed in a formal shirt, hair let down pretty. She turns the picture around, and on the back, two names are scribbled in two different writings: Theresa and Mary._


	4. Seven years later

**October 10, 2020**

 **Philadelphia, Pennsylvania**

 **Seven years after the CBI outbreak**

 _A tall building lay collapsed across the highway, blocking it indefinitely. The city was abandoned, like most cities in the United States. Signs of Military control that had once ruled the city were everywhere, in the form of barricades and empty checkpoints. Across one of these narrow, abandoned alley ways, a slim woman is seen running hurriedly, like she was escaping something. Tess leans against the wall, catching her breath for a second. Another woman follows her, and leans on the wall beside her, panting, resting hands on her knees. A sharp, inhuman scream echoes in the distance, and the two women look up. Tess pulls the other woman back behind a dumpster, and the two of them crouch, holding their breaths. Two clickers appear in the alleyway, looking around, their heads darting in different directions in confusion._

 _Tess pulls out a shiv from her backpack, and exchanges a silent agreement with the second woman. As the first clicker reaches the dumpster, Tess pounces on it and drives the blade into its neck twice. It convulses and falls down dead, as the second woman kills the other infected form._

 _It was the first time either of them had encountered an advanced stage of infection. Word had yet not spread through the country about these further stages of CBI. For now all anybody knew was that there were Runners, and the same turned into clickers in three or four years._

 _Tess gets up, discarding the broken shiv. She looks at the other woman with a sort of forced idea of trust, implying that they had just met, and were thrown into the life-or-death situation immediately._

Tess: You okay there?

Woman (panting): Yeah . . I-I've been better.

 _The woman was as tall as her, African-American, with gleaming dark skin and bushy hair that was pulled into a ponytail. She had on a tank top and a maroon coat, an old pair of jeans._

Tess (looking annoyed): Wanna tell me what that was all about?

Woman (leaning against the wall, reloading her pistol): I didn't know there were infected in there. We should've taken a different route.

Tess (with a sarcastic smirk): Yeah, no shit.

Woman: Look, just trust me. I know where we're going. I'll get us to the drop point.

Tess: I've heard the same, not too long ago.

Woman: It's a few streets away. We'll be okay.

 _She gets up and begins walking, Tess following her slowly, scanning her movements with slight suspicion._

Woman: I heard you were one of the best smugglers in Boston.

Tess: Word gets around quick.

Woman: You don't say. No wonder Elliot demanded that we contact you for this job.

Tess (slightly curious): Why? It wasn't a difficult job. They gave me a pickup truck to drive all the way too . . All I had to do was pick up the guns.

Woman: Pick up the guns, and get them all back safely . . There's been too many rumours about smugglers taking off with the goods halfway.

Tess: Yeah . . I heard too.

Woman: We're here.

 _The two of them jump over a cement wall, fall on the other side on their feet. On the road, a transport truck waits, with the driver looking out the window, giving a respectful nod to the black woman. Behind the truck, Tess's pickup sits, the damaged tyre replaced by a new one. The weapons lay in the back, buried beneath layers of papers and sacks of food._

Tess: Your guys work fast.

Woman: Yeah. They're good men.

Tess (walking over to the pickup, examining the new tyre): So I just take these goods back to Elliot in Boston. That it?

Woman (standing beside her, hands resting on her hips): Yes. Give him these.

She hands Tess a few papers. Tess examines them, and folds them, stuffing them in her backpack.

Woman: You can collect the whole payment after showing those papers to him.

Tess (glancing at the transport truck that was beginning to roar to life): Looks like your driver's waiting.

Woman (glancing at the truck, then back at Tess): I gotta leave. Tell Elliot I'll be back in Boston once the air clears there.

Tess (smirking, amused): When is it ever clear back there?

Woman: He'll know what I mean.

 _The woman leans in, her light eyes suddenly taking a shadow of hostility as she gazes into Tess's dark orbs._

Woman: I want every single one of those in Elliot's hands. Every fucking one, you get me?

Tess (slightly taken-aback, but regaining her mocking look quickly): What happened to all the best-smuggler-in-town talk?

Woman (shaking her head): I'll know when you deliver. Now go. Drive safe.

Tess (resting her elbow on the window of the pickup, looking at the woman as she walks away): What was your name again?

Woman (climbing onto the back of the transport truck): Marlene.

Tess (slightly cocking her head with a smile): Fireflies, was it?

Marlene: You'll hear of us very soon.

 _Tess grins, bemused as the trucks starts and begins to drive away. Marlene held her gaze as she leans against the walls of the truck, and then turns to look ahead at the road._

Tess (under her breath, getting into the driver's seat): Let's see what great changes you'll bring to this fucked-up world.


	5. Ten years later

**March 18, 2023**

 **Boston, Massachusetts**

 **Ten years after the CBI outbreak**

 _Tess wakes abruptly. She's laying in bed, naked under the sheets. She looks to the side to find a familiar face, a close acquaintance she usually turned to in hard times. His name was Jim, and he was a dealer, a popular one in East District._

 _She gets up lazily, dresses in her shirt by the window and sits on a chair, looking through the blinds. Jim wakes up shortly after, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. He was a well-built man, towering up to 6"3 at his full height. She looks at him casually, wishing him in a low voice as she glances back at the window._

Jim: You're awake early.

Tess (in-between consistent nail-biting): Yeah, I got a few jobs today.

Jim (stretching and yawning): Important?

Tess: Somethin' like that. Meeting this new dealer, Robert. After that, gotta collect a big shipment from Bill.

Jim (with a slight smirk, getting off bed and dressing): So that old guy finally agreed to deliver, huh?

Tess: Uh-huh. Had to go back to that fucking town and convince him twice.

Jim: Well, what did you expect. And what's that guy- Robert?

Tess (glancing his way): Yeah, what about him?

Jim: Uh, I don't know. Haven't exactly heard the best about him around. Things would be so much easier if you just accepted me as your dealer, you know?

Tess: We can't be friends and business partners, Jim.

Jim (slightly disappointed, and offended): Well, why the hell not?

Tess: It's gonna fuck shit up. Best to keep the two separate.

Jim (with an exhausted sigh): Better a friend as a business partner than a stranger. But, fuck it. Whatever suits you.

 _Tess appears affected by his words, glancing at him as he goes into the bathroom. She wears her pants, collects her backpack and leaves his dank apartment before he could come back out._

 _She walks back to her new place, basement of an old diner in the West district. The room has essentials packed together, haphazardly arranged in boxes in a way suggestive of a nomadic living. She showers and dresses in new clothes, and then heads on out for the work of the day. She drops by the local forger and collects her new fake identification papers, and then to the downtown to collect her shipment from Bill._

 _The packages sit in their usual drop point, an abandoned checking booth under an enormous drainage pipe. She carries the package back to her place, sneaking past soldiers and guards. Then she makes her way to the wharf, for her meeting with the new dealer, Robert_.

* * *

 **March 23, 2023**

 **Boston, Massachusetts**

 **Ten years after the CBI outbreak**

 _Tess enters her improvised home in the diner, hasty and unusually worried. Her fingers are wrapped around her pistol tightly. She looks shaken, and immediately begins to throw boxes to the floor, face twisting in agony. She throws the pistol onto the couch and punches the wall relentlessly, until her knuckles bleed. Then she sits back on the ground, leaning against the same wall, clutching her broken fingers, weeping._

 _The door opens slowly, and a familiar figure steps inside. A middle-aged black man, and by the way he looks at Tess, and his demeanour, it's obvious that she trusted him, and it was the same way around._

Tess (sniffling): What the fuck are you doing here?

Terry: Sorry. Just wanted to check on you.

Tess: Just go . . I'm fine!

 _Terry closes the door, walks up to her and sits on the couch, facing her. He looks clueless, but is still slightly optimistic._

Terry: I heard about . . what happened.

 _Tess ignores him, looking away as she tries to swallow hiccoughs, pressing her hand against her forehead._

Terry: I'm sorry.

 _She says nothing, but soon cries again. She covers her face, resting both wrists on her forehead to prevent him from looking at her._

Tess: I should've gone . . to see her when . . she was alive . .

Terry: . . You should have.

Tess (wiping her face, appearing embarrassed): I shouldn't have bothered with it now . . I should've just let it go . . I shouldn't have done that . .

Terry: I don't get you.

Tess (gesturing with a weak hand, her voice regaining composure for a while): I paid this smuggler across country to . . get me information about Mary from the Los Angeles QZ . . last month. He gave me the news today morning.

Terry: Being kept in the dark is equally painful.

Tess : . . . He said she died five years ago . .

 _A silence engulfs the room, the only sound being Tess's occasional, feeble sniffles_.

Tess: Five fucking years. And I had no clue.

Terry: . . . Now you know.

Tess (shaking her head weakly): Fuck this. Fuck all this . . . Fuck everything!


	6. Fourteen years later

**December 15, 2027**

 **Boston, Massachusetts**

 **Fourteen years after the CBI outbreak**

 _Tess is seen driving a pickup down a road. Brick buildings line either sides of the road, with an abundant overgrowth of trees covering the walls and rooftops. The road is deserted, with snow covering the footpaths and building tops. The back of her pickup has papers and weapons. She looks older, her hair is shorter. She wears a tank top and a coat, and worn out jeans as she scans the road in front of her eyes._

 _She pulls out a map, and referring it, turns the truck accordingly until she reaches an abandoned military check point. The metal walls are closed, and a turn gate sits locked. Several booths lay on either corners as she looked around._

 _She attempts to open the turn gate, shaking it in frustration when it didn't budge. Then she climbs onto the top of a booth, looking past the checkpoint. The road behind looked empty, divided into columns by metal walls and fences. She jumps down onto the other side as quietly as she could, and begins to look around. Walking to the end of the checkpoint, she checks inside the last booth, and finds a man sleeping in it, head rested against the back. He appears older than her, with salt and pepper hair, the same textured beard covering most of his jaw. He had a grey t-shirt on, old and dirty, with a brown coat over it to protect from the cold. His legs are covered by a pair of worn out jeans. He had no possessions with him._

 _She bends in front of him, resting her elbows on her knees. She clicks her fingers in front of his nose. He opens his eyes at once, and stands up immediately, pulling out his pistol._

Tess (standing up slowly): Calm down, man. I'm your pick up. Can't shoot your pick up, right?

 _The man pulls up a corner of his mouth in scorn, eyeing her suspiciously. He was barely two inches taller than her, had a striking, hostile blaze in his old eyes that never seemed to falter._

Tess: Joel, was it?

The man holds his position for a few seconds, then lowers his pistol, features falling slowly to normalcy.

Tess (with a mocking grin, and a friendly pat on the shoulder): There, much better. Come on, we gotta sneak you in before curfew.

Joel (voice low, slightly growling): When?

Tess: Starts at 6:30. We got exactly an hour and half. Come on.

 _She walks to the turn-gate, and defeated, holds the bars._

Tess (shaking the bars): Ah, shit. Fucking thing . .

 _She glances back at Joel, who walks up to her, waiting, his eyes still on her in distrust, like she was going to kill him in his sleep._

Tess: Think you can boost me up?

Joel (gruffing): . . . yeah.

Tess: Good!

 _He stands ready, hands held out as she climbs on them, then over his shoulder, getting onto the booth on the other side of the wall. She looks back around, and reaches down her hand._

 _He looks at her in slight reluctance and disbelief._

Joel (looking around): I'll find myself something to climb on.

Tess (beckoning with the stretched out hand): What, think I can't carry you?

Joel says nothing, but simply looks at her with eyebrows raised, then glances at her thin arms.

Tess (slightly amused): Come on, big guy. Try me.

 _Joel looks back once, and then up at her. With an annoyed sigh, he takes her hand, pulling himself up. Tess grunts, grasps his hand with both of hers and pulls him up using all her strength. Joel makes it to the top, climbs on and Tess lets go of him, smiling._

Tess: See, what'd I tell ya?

Joel (indifferently): Let's go.

 _Tess jumps off the booth, and leads him to the pick up. She pulls out papers from the glove box, and hands them to him._

Tess: Carry these at all times. Until I say otherwise, you are what that paper says you are. Get me?

Joel (going through the papers carefully): Richard Black.

Tess: Yep. That's your name.

Joel (waving the papers away once, eyebrows drawing together, clearly still distrustful): Why? Why fake Identification?

Tess (meeting his hostile gaze with hers, resting her elbow on the window. Her smile fades): The most well-known hunter on West coast can't simply waltz in through military check-points. Believe it or not, you got a bounty on your head. So unless you wanna get shot at the first checkpoint, I suggest you wisen the fuck up and listen to me.

Joel (scowling): . . . Lead the way.

* * *

 **December 16, 2027**

 **Boston, Massachusetts**

 **Fourteen years after the CBI outbreak**

 _Tess walks into the hall of her new apartment slowly, a glass of water in hand. Joel is sleeping on an old couch, and Tess looks slightly impatient. He is dressed in the same clothes as yesterday, the old grey T-shirt, coat and jeans. She walks to him, and is about to click her fingers in front of his nose again, when her eye catches his left wrist. She sees the broken, old watch under the sleeve, and takes a moment to be curious. The seconds hand still tremors in the watch, shaking up and down weakly, as if it was holding on to its last breath._

 _She snaps out of it and clicks her fingers in front of his nose. Joel opens his eyes wide immediately, but appears a little more trustful of Tess. Instead of reaching for his pistol, he simply sits up slow and steady, eyes on the ground. The ever-present anger in his face seems to have dwindled, replaced by a distant, hazy gloom._

Tess: Go wash your face. We gotta get you to Theo.

Joel (after a moment of annoyance, running his hand over his face): I can find my own way.

Tess (walking back to the refrigerator, pulling out a can of beans): I don't doubt that. But I gotta collect my payment.

Joel (glancing at her once, with a hint of curiosity): . . . Bathroom?

Tess points straight ahead into the only other room in the apartment.

Tess: Don't use too much water. Use the one in the second bucket, not the first.

 _Joel gets up and walks in the direction she points at. Tess waits patiently, loading all her guns and slinging on her backpack. When he arrives again, she observes that the distant look in his face is gone, replaced by the same anger, the silent malice. She holds the door open for him, eyes following him every second as he walks out._

Tess: Your watch is broken.

 _Joel grunts indifferently, walking down the corridor as Tess locks the door and follows him shortly._

 _After an hour's journey through the city's tightest spots, they arrive at a building, that had once clearly been a pawn shop. Tess steps forward and knocks on the metal door. A moment later, a hatch slides open in the center, and two pairs of eyes take her in. Then the door opens, and the two of them are let in._

 _A man waits behind a counter, pistol sitting on the table. Three other men are seen playing poker at the back, behind some empty racks. They glance at Tess curiously as she walks in. She regards them for a second indifferently, and then faces the man at the counter. His name is Theo._

Tess: Your shipment is here.

 _Joel looks visibly irritated, but doesn't hesitate to meet Theo's gaze even for a second._

Theo: Joel. How many years has it been?

Joel (a slight growl in his voice): I lost count.

Theo: How are the boys back at Manchester?

Joel (an end of upper lip twitching once): All dead.

Theo (shaking his head): You should've come with me when I asked you to. Y'all should've listened to me.

 _Theo stands up and walks around the counter to get a closer look at Joel, looking a little impressed._

Theo: Still keepin' in shape. That's good.

Tess glances at the two of them impatiently.

Theo: Tommy?

 _Joel's eyes slightly twitch at the mention of that name, and his scowl deepens._

Theo (in a mumble): Thought so.

Tess: If you're done with the reunion, I'll collect my payment.

Theo (glancing at Tess): Good job as usual, Tess. Come on.

 _Tess's eyes travel to Joel as she follows Theo inside a room. Joel leans against the counter, quiet, looking like a brewing storm ready to engulf anything in his way._

 _Theo closes the door behind them, and reaches to a drawer to gather her payment. Tess walks to the window, looking out at the streets, the old buildings._

Tess: That man's got a lotta bad blood.

Theo (with a slight smirk): You don't know the half of it. I ain't seen anybody kill like he does.

Tess (looking back at him as he gets her an envelope): Don't all of your henchmen?

Theo: Nah. This one's different . . he's the real deal.

Tess collects the envelope, stuffs it in her back pocket.

Tess: Well, he's not gonna last very long.

Theo (smiling mockingly): What makes you say that?

Tess (walking to the door, in long confident strides): Men with so much anger tend to get themselves killed easy. I've seen it a hundred times.

Theo (folding his hands across his chest, still playful): Wanna bet?

Tess (with a slight grin): I don't do bets, man. See you around. You know where to find me if another job comes knocking.

 _Theo nods. Tess leaves the shop, taking one last discreet look at Joel as she exits. He meets her gaze for a second before she walks out._


	7. Fifteen years later

**February 3, 2028**

 **Boston, Massachusetts**

 **Fifteen years after the CBI outbreak**

 _A shooting ensues at a local building, where men are seen hiding and crouching behind crates and metal boxes in a dark corridor, rising up once in a while to fire bullets at their enemies. Tess is hiding behind a reception counter in the building, cursing under her breath. A bullet wound bleeds in her right arm, but she bears the pain heroically. She grips her pistol tight in the other hand, and looks across the corridor at Theo. He's hidden behind a pillar, and gives her a panicked look, fingers slightly shaking around his gun._

Tess (loud, so as to be heard above the gunfire): Why didn't you fucking tell me?

Theo (slightly angry): How the fuck would I know they're gonna attack now?

Tess (ducking back from a string of bullets that come in her direction. They hit the wall and pull out some of the paint): Hey man, I don't wanna get tied up in your beef!

Theo (cocking his gun back, reloading it): Well sure as hell don't matter now! They think you're one of us either way, better to fight for your goddamn life!

 _He leans out from behind the cover to shoot at a distant enemy. His men are seen before and behind him, clearly outnumbered and struggling. They go down quickly, one by one, getting hit by bullets like they were born for it._

Theo (loudly): Fucking fight, worthless pieces of crap!

 _Tess leans back against the counter, safe from the gunfire at the moment. She's panting, examining the wound in her arm. She leans out from behind, still shielded form the gunfire, looking for any passage through which she could escape this brawl._

 _Her eye catches Joel in the distance, crouched behind a crate, bleeding form the abdomen. He looks indifferent to the pain, growling like an animal as he leans back out and fires at the enemy. He glances to the side at Theo._

Joel (in urgency, voice loud): We're not gonna make it through this, Theo!

Theo: Just keep shootin', we'll get these fuckers.

 _Joel throws a murderous glance at Theo, and for a second, Tess appears slightly taken aback. Joel looks at him like he wanted to kill him._

 _He leans back out and shoots at the enemy, and Tess hears a considerable number of bodies going down to his shots. Then he crawls out, shifts and makes his way round discreetly, taking down a man that was hiding behind a metal box. Tess sees him pounding the man's head against the wall, his head splitting open and blood splattering on his clothes. His face is twisted up in fury, eyes glinting like that of a wild animal._

Tess (subconsciously, with a slight wince): God . .

Theo: Good goin', Joel! Do your thing, we'll get these fuckers!

 _The gang's morale seems to be rising, as the last surviving three men scoot ahead and shoot and fight. Tess dodges the gunfire, crawls from inside an empty crate and appears on the other side, taking cover behind the staircase, farther into the corridor and away from the gunfire. Theo takes her previous position behind the counter, giving him a better cover and shot at the two enemies that were left. Joel grabs one of them from the back, and takes him down with his bare fists. The third of Theo's men gets shot, and falls down dead._

 _Theo hounds the last enemy, punches him unconscious, and shoots him in the temple._

 _Tess crawls out reluctantly, gripping her hurt arm as she makes her way towards them._

 _She sees Theo looking at Joel for a second, and then all around him at the dead bodies. Joel walks out, his footsteps suddenly heavy, his eyes murderous as he looks at Theo. Theo steps back, but Joel rushes towards him, punches him across the jaw, forcing out blood from his mouth. He takes Theo's head in his hands, turns him around and behind to twist his neck with all his energy, his lips pulled back, his teeth baring like a wild wolf._

 _Tess pauses in her tracks, eyes wide as she hears the loud crack. Joel pulls his hands back, as Theo's body sinks to the ground, neck twisted at an odd angle._

 _Tess tries to gulp, her throat is dry. She watches with wide eyes as Joel turns to her, his teeth still bared, his chest heaving as he towered among all the corpses._

 _Tess immediately pulls out her pistol, pointing it at him. Her hand shakes a little, but her eyes are unfazed._

Tess (voice slightly shaking): Get the fuck away.

 _Joel walks towards her, footsteps heavy, strides long. Tess steps back reluctantly, hands clasping her pistol. The barrel is pointed at his knees. Her fingers tremor slightly._

Tess (louder): I said get the fuck back!

 _Joel is barely a foot away from her, and she pulls the trigger. The gun makes a feeble, empty click, and before Tess could reload, Joel gets to her. She shields her face immediately, but nothing happens. Her breaths get caught up in her lungs, as she feels his hand reaching to her backpack, pulling out the bottle from the side pocket. She looks at him from the corner of her eyes, slowly moving her hands away as he gulps the water down, and then pours it over his head._

 _She gasps, eyes wide and lips apart with relief. With weak legs, she sinks down, leaning against the wooden wall behind her. She sees Joel pulling an end of his shirt up, examining the bullet wound above his belt._

Joel (voice lower, more humane): You got a med kit?

Tess (breathing hard, trying to conceal her silent panic and relief): Yeah.

 _She reaches into her backpack, pulls out a roll of bandages and hands them to him. She watches, hands still clasped around her empty pistol as he wraps the bandages around his wound, ties them up and cuts it off._

Joel (voice falling to sound normal now): Thanks.

 _He hands her back the bottle, and Tess takes it hurriedly, in an attempt to conceal her shaking fingers._

Tess: So what you gonna do now?

Joel (slightly wincing at the pain in his abdomen): . . . I don't know.

 _Tess gulps, and stands up slowly with the help of her hands. She takes the bandages from him and wraps them around her own wound. She keeps wrapping them around, looking slightly embarrassed as she tries to cut the end of the bandage with her teeth. She fails, unable to reach her teeth to her elbow. Joel looks at her, slightly embarrassed himself. He steps towards her, and with two hands, tears the bandage and ties it around her wound, tight. Then he grasps his wound again, turning his head to the side to hide his painful grimace._

Tess (in a low voice): Thanks.

 _Joel leans against the counter, resting one hand on it as he breathes, his wound beginning to bleed out now that the rush of adrenaline had faded._

Tess (gesturing to his wound): Think you can fix that?

Joel (with a shaky breath): I can take care . . of myself.

 _Tess is in thought for a moment, glancing at him as he stumbles towards the exit, hands resting against the wall._

Tess (aloud): Come on back with me, and I'll fix you up.

 _Joel pauses at the wall, without turning back. He says nothing, but simply waits for her as she walks by, giving him a curious, slightly fearful look as she leads him out._

Joel (voice slightly weaker with pain, following her. The word comes out singularly, like a statement looking for confirmation): Tess . .

Tess (without turning back, slightly surprised): Yeah, that's my name.

 _He follows her the rest of the way quietly._

* * *

 **February 7, 2028**

 **Boston, Massachusetts**

 **Fifteen years after the CBI outbreak**

 _Tess lingers in front of an apartment door, reluctant. Her hand is raised midway, like she was about to knock. She purses her lips, and then knocks on the door thrice, firmly. She has her backpack on, her guns loaded in it._

 _The door opens, and Joel appears on the other side. He looks at Tess, regards her with a firm nod_.

Tess: We gotta go. The job's gotta be done by afternoon.

Joel (opening the door wider, appearing slightly closed-off as usual): Okay. One second.

 _He goes inside, leaving the door open. Tess enters, and finds the apartment cleaner than it had been from the time she had showed it to him. She sees the boxes stacked neatly in one corner, cans of food placed orderly on the counter. The papers and notebooks are also settled on the table_.

Tess (slightly surprised, glancing at him): Did you clean up in here?

 _Joel replies with a low grunt. She sees him putting his pistol in the back of his jeans. He turns and walks out the door, past Tess. Tess closes it behind her as she follows him outside._

 _Joel glances at her as they walk side-by-side._

Joel (voice deep, in a sincere tone): What's my part?

Tess (without looking at him, an eyebrow cocked as she smirks): You're my muscle for now. Just stand by me and look dangerous. You can do that, can't you?

Joel (gruffing, with slight sarcasm): Yes ma'am.

 _Tess slows down for a second, holding a hand out in front of him. He looks at her slowly, jaw clenched._

Tess (meeting his gaze fiercely): I don't know what problems you had with Theo. But if you pull a quick one on me, you'll go down so fast, a single fucking hair on your head won't see it coming.

 _Joel says nothing, but holds her gaze dangerously._

Tess (shaking her head once, stepping closer to him, brown eyes boring into his hazel ones with the same intensity): We clear?

Joel (looking down at her, silent for a few seconds, and then averting his gaze to the ground): Yeah.

Tess (stepping back, a little eased): Good. Now follow me and do as I say, and nothing else.

 _She walks out of the building, her form entering into the sunlight as Joel follows shortly._


	8. Sixteen years later

**September 26, 2028**

 **Boston, Massachusetts**

 **Sixteen years after the CBI outbreak**

 _Tess is seen sitting on a round table full of men and women, in a dank apartment room at night. A dim light hangs over head, and her eyes are glued to the cards in her hand. The men and women play poker quietly, beer bottles and whisky on the table among coins and cards._

 _She glances to the side, and sees Joel leaning by a window, eyes stuck to the scene outside_.

Man on table (throwing his cards in the center): I quit.

Woman on table (scoffing): About time.

Tess (with a heavy sigh): Me too.

 _She throws her cards on the table, pushing her chair back and getting up. She grabs her glass of whisky and heads over to Terry, who was seated on a couch away from all the crowd._

Terry (scooting to give her space): First time you left a game so early.

Tess (leaning back, sipping her drink): I'm sick of it. I got enough ration cards already, nothing in it for me.

Terry (smirking): About time you realised.

 _Tess smiles, and glances sideways at Joel in the other room. He appears cleaner than last seen, a little at ease. It is obvious from the way he glances at Tess, and regards her with a nod that they have begun to trust each other._

Terry (following her line of sight): People talk about him, you know.

Tess (looking back at Terry): Fuck people, and their talks.

Terry: I know. But some of them are afraid, ever since that brawl in the building last month.

Tess: Eh, pretty sure they've seen worse.

 _She notices a blonde getting up from the table, and walking towards Joel. She approaches him casually, leaning to the window beside him, flirting. Tess looks away immediately, sipping more of her drink_.

Terry: You trust him?

Tess: He hasn't double-crossed me so far.

Terry: But you think he might?

Tess (with a raised eyebrow, speaking into her glass in a firm tone): Let's see him try.

Terry: Whatever. I'm just glad you have someone to protect you now, that's it.

Tess: Since when did I need protection?

Terry (shaking his head with a grin): Sorry, my bad . . . but you know what I mean.

 _Tess meets his eye understandingly for a moment, and gives an appreciative nod._

Tess (with a shadow of a genuine smile, unlike her usual mocking smirk): Thanks Terry.

Terry: For what?

Tess (patting his shoulder as she gets up): For being there.

 _Terry looks to the ground, slightly embarrassed. Tess leaves the apartment, throwing one last speculative look at Joel and the blonde._

 _Joel seems uninterested, head turned away from the woman as she leans in towards him suggestively._

 _Tess heads into her apartment across the corridor, and closes the door behind her. She takes off her clothes, and gets under the sheets in her underwear and thermal. Her eyes are open for a while as she looks out the window. With a long sigh, she turns away, buries her face into the pillow and closes her eyes._

 _The next morning, Tess and Joel walk down the streets of Boston, their strides long and confident._

Tess: Fucking Jim. He made off with half the shipment and now he's looking to blame it on me.

Joel (voice low, tersely): Where we going?

Tess: Rendezvous with him. He called to give me the other half, or so he says.

Joel (after a moment of silence): He's gonna ambush us.

Tess (sharing the same tone): I know. Get ready.

 _Tess and Joel walk into an alleyway, where six men are seen standing. The one in the front is Jim, and Tess regards him with a pitiful smirk._

Tess: Always knew you were gonna fold on me, Jim.

Jim (stepping forward, taking note of the glowering giant standing behind her): Ain't my fault this time. You didn't deliver as promised.

Tess (visibly angry): Bullshit. I delivered just fine. You were the one that gave me half the goods and kept the other half for yourself. Stop playing games, Jim. You're not nearly smart enough for that.

Jim (glancing back at his goons, as if for encouragement): Hear that boys? She says I kept it to myself!

 _The men snicker and sneer at Tess, and she ignores them, eyeing only Jim._

Jim (looking back at Tess and Joel): So that's your goon that I've been hearing so much about lately.

Joel's glares at the man unhindered, scowling.

Jim (giving him a once-over as he approached): Thought you didn't take business partners.

Tess (raising her arms midway): Well I fucking changed my mind.

Jim (standing in front of Joel now, looking down at him): Nice little lamb-chop here. Sure as hell I'm stronger. Gettin' soft in the head, huh Tess?

 _Joel steps forward, leaving barely two inches between his eyes and Jim's. He looks up, meets his gaze fiercely_.

Joel (growling): Wanna test it out?

Tess (gently pushing Joel back, looking at Jim with a cocky grin): You might be, Jim. But he's hell a lot better lookin' than you.

 _Jim grins, stepping back towards his boys. Tess observes with quick eyes that only two of them had guns, including Jim. The other men had only baseball bats and metal pipes._

Jim: Whatever, Tess. Point is, you took off with half the shipment. The client's pissed.

Tess (with a visible growl): You and I know fucking well that the rest of it is sittin' right there in your asshole. Give it up, Jim. This isn't a battle you can win.

 _Jim glares at the two of them for a moment. Tension is palpable in the air, as the men begin to close in slowly, stepping towards the two of them. Joel makes his stance, and Tess pulls out her pistol._

Jim: Kill 'em!

 _A man nearby pounces at Tess, but Joel tackles him midway. Tess shoots another at the side, and then fires a bullet that hits Jim right in the wrist, so he drops his gun. Joel tackles the other man with the pistol nearby, crushing his windpipe under his boots._

 _Tess turns to a fourth man just as he closes in on her, punches him right across the jaw. The brawl continues, but in a second, tips in favour of Jim as he manages to land a bat on Tess's head._

 _Tess winces, stumbling as the sudden blow hits her deep. Joel attempts to help her, but is pulled back and punched by a goon, whom he throws over his shoulder with a shout. The two men reach out to Tess, and pull her away just as Joel rushes in. One of them holds her hands behind her back, while Jim closes his elbow around her neck and places a knife across it threateningly._

 _Joel stops in his tracks, teeth bared like an animal. He pulls out his pistol and points it at them._

Jim (panting): Look, man. Our beef ain't with you.

 _Joel's fists clench and his jaw grinds dangerously. Tess grunts and struggles in their tight grasps, almost shaking herself free a few times. Her eyes are on Joel, eyebrows pulled together in fury._

Jim: Look the other way, and I'll make it worth. I'll give you a hundred deals better than this bitch can ever-

 _A bullet hits point blank in his forehead, and another kills the second man that was holding Tess's hands. Tess stumbles once, as Joel rushes forward and holds her shoulders softly._

Joel (voice soft, eyes looking down at her in slight concern): You're okay.

Tess (catching her breath, pressing a hand to her throat where a shallow cut was bleeding): Motherfucker!

 _She gently pushes him away and looks down at Jim's corpse. She kicks his bleeding head several times, cursing._

Tess (panting between kicks): You . . fucking . . asshole!

 _She stops abruptly, steps back and runs the back of her hand across her mouth. She glances at Joel, and her anger dwindles slowly._

Joel: Are you hurt?

Tess (with a shake of her head): No. You?

 _Joel shakes his head. They gaze at each other for a moment, breathing, eyeing each other speculatively. Like they were trying to figure out what the other was thinking. A red drop rolls down from Tess's temple, and soon increases to a trickle._

Joel (stepping towards her, clearly concerned): Hey . . you're bleeding.

 _He holds her shoulders again lightly, pushing her hair back to see the tricking line of red blood._

Tess (eyes drifting on the ground as she recovers from the shock, slightly dazed): I'll be fine . . Let's go fix this up . .

Joel (with a nod, eyes gauging her brown orbs in worry that she had never seen in him before): Come on.


	9. Seventeen years later

**A/N Thanks reader peppermints smile for the encouragement. I love you! And also I wanted to get something across to anybody that's reading this. This was just an experimental work of mine. I'm probably going to end it in three or four chapters more, maximum five. It was supposed to be a memoir of Tess's life after the CBI, but I guess it's soon turning into a JoelXTess fanfic. Well, whatever goes, goes. I've always found their complicated status fascinating, and of course, Tess is an amazing character who had an unfortunate ending. This is just my attempt at exploring the layers in her personality, and also the layers in her complex relationship with Joel.**

 **Basically what I'm saying is, don't get pissed if something seems off or uncharacteristic about the two. I'm just an innocent fan XD**

* * *

 **June 12, 2030**

 **Boston, Massachusetts**

 **Seventeen years after the CBI outbreak**

 _In an old apartment corridor, Tess walks to her apartment queitly. Outside, it's already midnight. She steps into her apartment, lights the hurricane lamp next to the Kitchenette counter, pulling out a can of peaches. She starts eating peach halves, apparently her improvised dinner for the day. She pulls out a notebook from the drawer, and goes through the pages. Beside the last entry, she finds a note stuck between the binding. It's written in Joel's handwriting, and says: Left a present for you in your fridge. Bought it at the market today. Cost me a fortune. Happy birthday - Texas._

 _Tess smiles to herself, walks to the fridge and opens it. A fresh new bottle of Jack Daniels sits in the middle, and she pulls it out, grinning to herself._

Tess: You sneaky bastard . .

 _She goes round to the counter, pulls out a glass and pours herself some. She sits at her previous place, sipping the spirit quietly. She stops abruptly, halting the glass at her lips. She purses her lips and gulps. She takes a deep breath, paces around the apartment for a few minutes. She glances at herself in the mirror, unties her hair from the bandana. Then she ties it back, sheepishly. She grabs the bottle, exits the apartment and locks the door behind her._

 _She walks down the corridor, and climbs up the stairs, stops in front of the last door at the end. The rest of the flats seem empty, some of the doors are even left wide open. She halts as she approaches the door._

 _Her lips twist in slight confusion as she steps forward, listening closely. She places a shaking hand on the door, rests her ear against it. Feeble, distant sounds reach her, the obvious moaning and begging of a woman, quick breathing and mewling._

 _She shuts her eyes, and steps back, her hand falling from the door. Her eyes travel to the ground, and her fingers clench the neck of the bottle, knuckles turning pale. A shadow pops under her cheekbones as she grinds her teeth. She turns and leaves._

* * *

 **June 16, 2030**

 **Boston, Massachusetts**

 **Seventeen years after the CBI outbreak**

 _Tess takes long, stubborn strides through the walkway, unmindful of the curfew announcements on the intercom outside. Joel follows her reluctantly, glancing at her once in a while, looking a little preoccupied._

 _Tess jams the key into the door at the end, turns it and steps inside, throwing a hostile glance at Joel as she enters._

 _Joel heaves, following her into the apartment, eyes observing her in slight embarrassment._

Tess (tersely): We got time till afternoon tomorrow.

Joel (after a moment of silence): Yeah, okay.

 _Tess walks to the couch and lays down across it, closing her eyes, resting her hand under her head. Joel gazes at her for a while, then slowly walks to a cabinet. He pulls out a half-empty bottle of whisky, and two lowball glasses. Reluctantly, he places the three on the table in front of her._

 _Tess opens her eyes gently, looks at the bottle, then up at Joel._

Joel (managing a light smile, and a feeble shrug): Been a while, ain't it?

Tess (with a slightly irritated voice): No thanks.

Joel (with a heavy sigh, stepping forward to sit in front of her legs on the couch): Somethin' on your mind?

Tess (after a deep breath): Nope.

Joel (pouring the spirit into two glasses): Don't make me feel lonely, now.

 _Tess eyes him for a while, then looks at the two glasses he's holding in his hands. With a heavy sigh, she sits up, taking a glass in her hand. She lifts the glass up and finishes her share in one gulp, leaving Joel awkwardly holding his full glass._

Joel (slightly annoyed): Tess, you wanna tell me what's wrong? You been awful snappy lately.

Tess (throwing a cocky grin at him): Drink up, Texas.

 _Joel stares at her for a while, and then takes a gulp of his drink, watching her from the corner of his eyes as she pours herself more._

 _In an hour, the bottle is empty, with the last of it in Joel's glass. Tess is leaning against the arm rest, her legs stretched out behind Joel as he maintains the same position as before. Her face is flushed, her eyes distant. She hugs the empty glass to her chest._

Tess (breaking the long silence): Fucking . . Cordyceps.

Joel (with a slight smirk): You gotta hold your liquor, woman.

Tess (glancing at him weakly, after a moment of silence): Your watch took a bullet for you today.

 _Joel glances down at his wrist, sees the fresh circular hole in the dial. It had stopped working now, for good. He looked a little distant as he mumbled in agreement._

Tess: Wife?

 _Joel shuts his eyes for a moment, his fingers gripping around his glass tight. A vein pops in his temple, but he doesn't look angry. He takes a long gulp from his glass, and looks at the ground, opening his eyes._

Joel (voice low, soft): . . . Daughter.

Tess (features softening for a moment in sympathy): Infected?

Joel (shaking his head immediately): . . No.

 _His features appear crest-fallen, his lips hanging in a shallow frown, eyebrows drooping._

Tess (her voice regaining stability): Bill's getting us some cigarettes this time.

Joel (still distant, but speaking in a poorly disguised voice): Oh yeah?

Tess: Uh-huh.

 _Tess places the bottle on her forehead carefully, trying to balance it as it wobbles. Joel looks at her, and an end of his lips curl up in a wry smile._

Tess (eyes on the bottle on her head): Massage my feet.

Joel (with a smirk, reaching out to her legs, pulling them across his thighs): Bossy today.

 _He presses her legs below her knees, glancing at her occasionally, his smile fading. She puts the bottle away, and looks at him, twinkling, drunk eyes meeting his. He averts his gaze to her feet immediately, clearing his throat._

 _When he looks at her again, her eyes are still on him, blinking once in a while, slightly glassy with dizziness. He holds her gaze subconsciously, his lips parting slowly. His fingers loosen around her feet as she pulls them away and sits up, slowly crawling to him on all fours. She lifts a hand, placing it on the couch between his thighs. Joel looks at her, eyes scanning her face. Her lips are inches away from his, and he sits unmoving as she tries to close the distance between them._

 _Her lips brush against his once, and with a shaky breath, he averts his gaze, leaning away and avoiding them. He sees her gulping from the corner of his eyes. She leans to the side, and her lips linger in front of his again, less than an inch away. She lifts a slender hand and rests it on his chest. Joel shuts his eyes, breathing deeply, unsteadily._

 _She slowly brushes forward, and he leans an inch back, like he was teasing her, beckoning her to follow him. Then he reaches forward once, lips parted, breaths short._

 _Tess looks up at him, freezing in her movements. Her stubborn gaze catches him off-guard._

Tess (voice low, terse): I'm not blonde enough for you, is that it?

Joel (immediately guilty): Tess . .

 _Joel closes his eyes once, pursing his lips as he gently grasps her shoulders and pushes her away, resting her back against the couch._

Joel (reluctantly): We got a job tomorrow.

 _Tess smirks to herself, falling to rest her head on the couch again, sleeping on her side._

Tess: Get your sleep, Texas.

Joel (looking awfully guilt-ridden, gulping as he glances at her once): You too.

* * *

 **A/N: I got my exams in less than three weeks and I'm just floating in fanfictions. *Cries***

 **I keep checking the stats very often, so if this story gets good reception, I'll update next chapetrs asap. Yes, I'm holding further chapters hostage for reviews.**


	10. Nineteen years later

**A/N: Yayyy. Also, sorry to raffinit. I'm a fan, I love your Joel/Tess stories, especially won't you stay shotgun till I die. You're hilarious, I'm flattered that you're reading my crap.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **April 15, 2032**

 **Boston, Massachusetts**

 **Nineteen years after the CBI outbreak**

Joel: Tess . . Tess, wait!

 _Tess brushes off his gentle hand from her shoulder, walking out of the building, her eyes frantic._

 _She runs across narrow alleyways, Joel following shortly behind, calling her name repeatedly, telling her it was a bad idea. She stops in front of a brick building, and climbs up the fire escape until she's standing on the rooftop. She rushes to the edge, and kneels on one knee, looking down. She pulls out her pistol from the back of her jeans._

 _Joel kneels down beside her, following her line of sight. He sees on the road down below, five soldiers and a Humvee, surrounding a group of two men and one woman. The man in center looks familiar, with dark skin and short hair. He's forced down to his knees, ordered to keep his hands behind his head. He does as told._

Tess: Goddamit . . Terry . .

Joel (looking at her nervous features, attempting to be considerate): We don't know yet if he's infected . .

 _The scanner on Terry's neck beeps, and even from the height, Tess can see that red words blink on the screen._

 _Immediately, the soldier puts a gun to the back of his head and shoots._

 _Tess doesn't flinch, but shuts her eyes when she sees his dead body falling to the ground, a hole bleeding from the back of his head. Joel observes her shoulders falling, his eyebrows drooping at the ends as he gives her a moment._

Joel: We should head back, Tess.

Tess (glancing at his shoes from the corner of her eyes): . . Yeah.

Joel (placing a hand on her shoulder, beckoning her as he stands up): Come on now.

* * *

 **April 16, 2032**

 **Boston, Massachusetts**

 **Nineteen years after the CBI outbreak**

 _Tess is seen walking through an underground tunnel. She climbs out of it, enters the familiar diner. The front corner of the walls are collapsed, giving way to the outside. She walks out into the night, making her way through the abandoned, dilapidated houses like she was used to it. She arrives at a metal shutter, and with loud grunts and all of her energy, lifts it up, keeps it in place by fixing a table under it. She walks out to the other side, jumps down the platform and arrives at the wharf. She takes a deep breath of the fresh air, her movements now relaxed. She has no pistol or backpack._

 _From the back pocket of her jeans, she pulls out a familiar picture, the one of her and her sister. She gazes at the smiling face for a moment, her eyes giving away her grief. She shakes it in the air lightly, taking short, nervous steps to the dock. She steps over the chain link fence and walks all the way to the edge, sits down on it with her toes hanging down towards the ocean._

 _The vast expanse of salt water surrounds her eyes, disappearing and mingling with the dark starry sky at the horizon. She takes a deep breath of the salty ocean air, closing her eyes, feeling the breeze in her hair._

 _She looks down at the picture again, and shuts her eyes, shaking it reluctantly. Then, leaning forward, she lets it go, watching as it falls into the waves. She sees the smiling faces for the last time, holding their gazes as a wave engulfs it and pulls it into the depths of the ocean_.


	11. Twenty years later - I

**January 1, 2033**

 **Boston, Massachusetts**

 **Twenty years after the CBI outbreak**

 _Tess opens her eyes groggily, blinking at the daylight that gushed in through the window blinds. She's naked under the sheets, and finds Joel walking into the room, wearing only his jeans. He has two mugs of water in hand, as he walks to sit beside her on the bed, wishing her faintly._

Tess (wrapping the sheets around her because of the cold): It's suddenly chilly.

Joel (gesturing towards the radiator in the corner): Yeah, electricity's cut. Won't have it again until three weeks.

Tess (with a tired groan): Fuck's sake!

 _She lays in bed for a while, then sits up, sheets hooked under her armpits. She takes the mug and drinks the water quietly._

Tess: Any notice of the next shipment from Bill?

Joel: No, not yet. I'm guessin' another two weeks.

Tess (glancing at the blinds): Fucking hate this snow.

Joel (with a light smirk): Good thing we don't got any job today.

Tess (looking at him incredulously): We got the drop off in Area 7, to Raoul.

Joel (with a light shake of the head): The deadline for that's day after, Tess. Let's just take it easy for today.

 _Joel leans forward at her impatient sigh, inching closer to her on the bed._

Joel (gently tugging a strand of hair behind her ear): I ain't gettin' any younger, you know.

Tess (looking in his direction, eyes on the sheets as she mumbles): Yeah, I know.

Joel (with a breath of relief, leaning back into the headboard): Well, so we got the day to ourselves.

 _Joel looks at her sideways as she sits forward, folding her legs under the sheets. With a light hand, he traces shapes on her wing bone, and then slides his finger down her spine. He turns sideways and closes his eyes, sighing deeply as he attempts to sleep again._

Tess (in a low voice, mumbling): I'll go update our record.

 _Joel grunts faintly, resting a hand under his head as she gets up and gets dressed. He opens his eyes for a moment, eyeing her discreetly as she pulls on her shirt and underwear, stands in front of the window for a while, looking out. He sees her stroking a strand of brown hair, twisting it around her finger absent-mindedly, and then tugging it behind her ear. She sighs and turns, and he immediately closes his eyes. Tess is unaware of his silent observations._

 _She walks into the hall, pulls out a notebook from the drawer and begins to take stock of their possessions. With a creased forehead, she counts food cans, water bottles, pills, ammunition and clothes. She separates the extra stock for selling in the black market, and arranges all their supplies in the cabinets. She peeks into the bedroom once, only to find Joel still asleep._

 _She sits back in the couch, a glass of whisky in hand as she drums her fingers on the armrest_ _impatiently. She pulls out a paper, and begins to doodle random things, begins to draw a stick figure of a woman with a gun, scribbles irrelevant dialogues with an amused smile._

 _In a while, she crumbles the paper and throws it across the hall weakly, finishing her glass of spirit. She glances into the bedroom again, and finds Joel asleep. With an impatient sigh, she dresses herself in her jeans and shirt, pulls out a receipt from the notebook and stuffs it into her pocket. She walks into the bedroom and sits on the chair beside the window, looking out, waiting._

 _Minutes pass by, then an hour. Joel begins to mutter and mumble in his sleep, tossing weakly to his side._

 _She glances in his direction pensively, sitting upright._

 _He sits up suddenly, eyes wide open, gasping and panting. He takes a moment, realising that he was in the bedroom. With a deep, shaky breath, he runs his hand across his face._

Tess (voice a little soft): You're okay, Texas.

 _Joel glances in her direction, breathing faintly. He says nothing, but doesn't meet her eyes._

Tess (standing up, with an air of equipment): Get up. Let's get the Raoul job done.

Joel (grunting in annoyance, still groggy): What?

Tess: Let's go get our payment. After that we'll head over to Donovan. He'll have a job for us.

Joel (impatiently): I thought we were gonna stay in.

Tess (walking to the hall, pulling out a can of beans): Yeah, and do what?

Joel (with a shrug, looking in her direction): I don't know, rest?

Tess (shaking her head with a smirk): The whole day?

 _Joel says nothing, but raises his eyebrows like the answer is obvious._

Joel (leaning forward in the bed with an air of condescendence): We've been workin' our asses off the entire month Tess. I think one day off wouldn't hurt nobody.

Tess (after a moment of silence, resting her hands on her hips and breathing deeply. The crease between her brows deepens): Fine. You stay in. See if that rest fixes your knees.

 _She turns around and leaves, throwing a blazing look at him once._

 _Joel sighs deeply, shaking his head. Tess walks out of the apartment and takes the familiar route to the tunnel, stubbornly. As she walks down the corridor, she hears quick footsteps, a door locking._

Joel (voice softer, more understanding): Tess, wait up!

 _She slows down, closing her eyes once as he rushes to her side in a light jog. His eyes are determined, and slightly apologetic._

Joel: Good to go.

 _Tess says nothing, but continues on her way, Joel walking by her side._


End file.
